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Effect of Different Carbon Substrates on the Removal of Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine (RDX) and Octahydro-1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-Tetrazocine (HMX) by Anaerobic Mesophilic Granular Sludge

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Abstract

The influence of carbon substrate supplement on the degradation of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) by anaerobic mesophilic granular sludge was investigated. Batch experiments were carried to evaluate the biodegradation performance in the presence of acetate, ethanol, glucose and soluble starch. The results of specific methanogenic activity tests showed that RDX and HMX at concentration of 139 and 20 μmol L−1, respectively, had no major inhibitory effect on the bioactivity of anaerobic granular sludge. Glucose and acetate could better facilitate the degradation of RDX and HMX when compared with ethanol and soluble starch. The concentration of carbon substrate was considered critical for enhancing the transformation of RDX and HMX. As carbon substrate concentration increased up to 50 mmol chemical oxygen demand (COD) L−1, there was a major stimulatory effect of the amended carbon substrates, while a slight inhibitory effect was also found at some concentrations. These results indicate that adding suitable carbon substrates may be an important strategy for stimulating the anaerobic biotransformation of high-energetic ammunition compounds in bioreactors.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The authors are also grateful to the editors and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Communities, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada

    Chunjiang An, Yarong Shi & Guohe Huang

  2. School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, People’s Republic of China

    Chunjiang An, Yanling He & Jidong Liang

  3. School of Human Settlement and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, People’s Republic of China

    Zongkuan Liu

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  1. Chunjiang An
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  2. Yarong Shi
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Correspondence to Guohe Huang.

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An, C., Shi, Y., He, Y. et al. Effect of Different Carbon Substrates on the Removal of Hexahydro-1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-Triazine (RDX) and Octahydro-1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-Tetrazocine (HMX) by Anaerobic Mesophilic Granular Sludge. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 2174 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2174-8

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